Overview

Project Information
Recursion Practice

Progress

• Implemented common recursion problems in Python

Project Links

• Github - Code

Reflection

6.009 Lab 3 requires recursion. Rather than diving in immediately and fumbling around blindly with complex problems, I figured that I should at least try to get some familiarity with the topic before attempting the lab. Recursion... is still a bit confusing to me. So this was also another exercise of experience and confidence building. A few problems I definitely needed to think about for a few hours (or a few days), and others I still haven't completely digested/figured out yet. Writing stuff out on a notepad was immensely helpful. Planning things out and writing the algorithm out on paper was very beneficial, compared to immediately trying to code up a solution.

Lessons Learned

1. Do not fear the unknown. I don't know how I escaped recursion during my time in college, but the total number of times I've had to implement an algorithm with recursion and actually understand what I was doing can probably all be counted with only one hand. During, and since college, I've had an immense fear and lack of confidence when it came to recursion. Because I knew I was bad at it. Because I knew I didn't have experience with it. Because I thought I couldn't do it. Well.. now I know I CAN do it! Oftentimes the anticipation is scarier than the actual task itself. After sitting down and just allowing myself to think, recursion actually came quite easily to me. It really is just exposure and practice! Yes, I still have difficulty with specific types of problems, but I'm working on it. The more I practice, the better I'll get. Just do it!